United News of Bangladesh

Expect some goals in the World Cup final. At least, that’s what history says. In the 22 previous World Cup men's finals (which would include the 1950 match between Uruguay and Brazil that technically wasn’t a final, but decided who won the World Cup), the winning team has averaged 2.6 goals in the title matchup. The losing team has averaged 1.1 goals. The two most recent World Cup finals have been offensive slugfests, with a combined 12 goals. France beat Croatia 4-2 in 2018, while Argentina and France tied 3-3 in 2022 (before Argentina prevailed in a penalty shootout). Teams scoring at least two goals have won the World Cup title 17 times; there have been eight instances of a team scoring at least two goals in the final and still falling short. There have been three 1-0 wins: West Germany over Argentina in 1990, Spain over Netherlands in 2010 and Germany over Argentina in 2014. And there was one 0-0 tie in a final; Brazil wound up winning over Italy in a penalty shootout the 1994 final, which had been the only one played on U.S. soil before now. Scaloni looking to join elite club If Argentina wins Sunday, Lionel Scaloni — who led the team’s push to the 2022 title — would be just the second person to coach two World Cup championship clubs. Italy went back-to-back as World Cup champions in 1934 and 1938, with both those clubs coached by Vittorio Pozzo. Nobody else has two titles as a coach. There are three men — Brazil’s Mário Zagallo, West Germany’s Franz Beckenbauer and France’s Didier Deschamps — to have won World Cups as both a player and a coach. Messi matters When he takes the field Sunday, Argentina star Lionel Messi will be the oldest field player to appear in a World Cup final. Messi is 39. Sweden’s Gunnar Gren was 37 when he played against Brazil in the 1958 final. The only player older than Messi to play in a final was Italy goalkeeper Dino Zoff — who was 40 when his club beat West Germany for the 1982 crown. But among field players, Messi will stand alone as the oldest after Sunday. Messi is also in position to join Brazil’s Cafu as the only person to play in three World Cup men’s finals. And since Cafu was a reserve in one of his appearances, Messi would be the first to start the title game on three occasions. For Spain, youth may be served. Experience may, too. Youth may be served by Spain in this World Cup final. And if La Roja prevails, experience would also have paid off. It’s an interesting mix. Spain is slated to have two teenagers — Lamine Yamal and Pau Cubarsí, a pair of 19-year-olds — play Sunday against Argentina in the World Cup final, and no team has ever had more than one teen in the lineup and won the title. So, that's the power of youth. Here’s the flip side of that: If Spain wins, coach Luis de la Fuente — who is 65 — would become the oldest World Cup-winning sideline boss, passing Vicente del Bosque, who was 59 when Spain won its first title in 2010. For the record, teenagers enter Sunday unbeaten in World Cup finals, according to FIFA, which says only three have ever played in soccer’s biggest game. Pelé was 17 when he helped Brazil win the final over Sweden in 1958, Giuseppe Bergomi was 18 when Italy beat West Germany in 1982, and Kylian Mbappé was 19 when France beat Croatia in 2018. Spain seeking record streak Spain is 28-0-9 in its last 37 matches, which has tied Italy for the longest unbeaten run by a European men’s national team. Italy also went 28-0-9 from October 2018 through September 2021 — before losing to Spain 2-1 on Oct. 6, 2021 in Milan. Argentina has a streak worth noting as well. It has won seven consecutive World Cup matches, tied with Italy for the second-longest such run in men's tournament history. Only Brazil, which won 11 straight spanning 2002 and 2006, has a longer World Cup winning streak. Argentina-Spain history The game is just the second head-to-head meeting in a World Cup between Argentina and Spain. Argentina won 2-1 in the 1966 group stage. Across all competitions and friendlies, the sides have played 14 times. Each has won six times and they tied twice.      

The winners of the 2026 FIFA World Cup will receive a record $51 million in prize money, along with the World Cup trophy, championship rings for the first time and a place in sporting history. FIFA has increased the tournament's total prize fund to a record $871 million for the expanded 48-team World Cup, up from $440 million for the 32-team tournament in Qatar in 2022. The governing body added more than $100 million in April after several European football federations sought additional financial support, citing the higher travel and accommodation costs of a tournament jointly hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico. European rights body raises World Cup integrity concerns, urges FIFA reforms before 2030 The runners-up will receive $34 million, while third-placed England and fourth-placed France will earn $30 million and $28 million, respectively. Quarter-finalists will receive $20 million each, Round of 16 teams $16 million, Round of 32 teams $12 million, and teams eliminated in the group stage $10 million. Every participating federation is guaranteed at least $12.5 million, comprising $10 million for qualifying and competing in the group stage and $2.5 million to cover pre-tournament training and preparation costs. FIFA said the upfront payments were designed to avoid disputes between players and national associations over unpaid bonuses before tournaments. The governing body also covers business-class return flights, accommodation and meals for a 50-member delegation, including players, beginning five nights before a team's opening match until one night after its elimination. FIFA also pays for domestic transport, including a dedicated vehicle fleet and equipment truck. National federations, however, remain responsible for insurance, incidental hotel expenses and accommodation for additional delegation members. Although the $51 million winners' prize is the largest in World Cup history, it remains lower than the reported transfer fee recently paid by English club Brighton for Croatian teenager Luka Vušković and below the $115 million earned by Chelsea for winning the expanded FIFA Club World Cup last year. The original FIFA World Cup trophy is not permanently awarded. Instead, the champions receive a gold-plated replica to keep. Prize money is paid to national federations rather than players, with each federation deciding how it is distributed. Under a landmark 2022 agreement, US Soccer retains 20% of its prize money, while the remaining 80% is shared equally between the men's and women's national teams.

Bangladesh beat Zimbabwe by four wickets in the third T20I on Sunday to win the three-match series 2-1, reaching 144 with two balls remaining after a tense finish at Queens Sports Club. Chasing 144, Bangladesh recovered from the loss of Saif Hassan in the opening over through Tanzid Hasan, who remained unbeaten on 66 from 58 balls. Parvez Hossain Emon made 24 as he and Tanzid added 55 for the second wicket. After Emon fell to Sikandar Raza, Tanzid and captain Towhid Hridoy put on another 63 runs. Rishad takes four as Bangladesh level T20I series vs Zimbabwe Hridoy scored 24 before Raza took a return catch to leave Bangladesh needing 22 from the final four overs. Zimbabwe stayed in the contest with three late wickets. Richard Ngarava dismissed Yasir Ali for 10 before Brad Evans bowled Mosaddek Hossain and had Mohammad Saifuddin caught off successive deliveries in the final over. Evans looked to have trapped Mehedi Hasan leg before wicket with the next ball, but the umpire had already called a dead ball after a Zimbabwe fielder moved before the delivery was released. Mehedi then drove the following ball over the cover field for four to complete the chase. Earlier, Zimbabwe made 143 for 7 after captain Sikandar Raza chose to bat. Brian Bennett scored 47 before Mohammad Saifuddin bowled him in the 11th over. Dion Myers carried the innings with 73 from 53 balls, hitting seven fours and two sixes, but no other Zimbabwe batter reached 50. Mehedi Hasan dismissed Tadiwanashe Marumani in the second over, while Rishad Hossain removed Raza for 3. Abdul Gaffar Saqlain took the wicket of Ryan Burl, Saifuddin dismissed Clive Madande, and Zimbabwe lost Brad Evans and Myers to run-outs in the closing overs. Saifuddin finished with 2 for 35. Taskin Ahmed returned figures of 0 for 16 from four overs. Bangladesh lost the one-off Test and the ODI series on the tour before winning the last two T20Is to take the series.

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has said she will attend Sunday's FIFA World Cup final after receiving an invitation from US President Donald Trump, marking their first meeting since December following months of public disagreements. Speaking to Mexican media, Sheinbaum said she accepted the invitation because it came directly from the US president. Argentina and Spain battle for World Cup glory in tournament finale Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney would also attend the match and that she would provide further details in a recorded message on Sunday, she added. Sheinbaum did not attend the tournament's opening match in Mexico City, where the host nation defeated South Africa 2-0. Instead, she gave her ticket to a young Indigenous woman. Relations between Sheinbaum and Trump have remained strained in recent months over a range of issues, including security and trade. Their last meeting took place during the World Cup draw in December. The 2026 FIFA World Cup is being co-hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada, marking the first time the tournament has been jointly staged by the three North American countries. Defending champions Argentina are set to face Spain in the final at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. Spain's King Felipe VI is also expected to attend the title decider.

Europe's top human rights body has questioned the integrity of the FIFA World Cup and urged football's governing body to strengthen safeguards ahead of the 2030 tournament, which will be hosted mainly by Spain and Portugal. In an open letter to FIFA published on Sunday, hours before the World Cup final between Spain and Argentina in East Rutherford, New Jersey, Council of Europe Secretary General Alain Berset warned that the next crisis in football had "two names: money and power." Argentina and Spain battle for World Cup glory in tournament finale The Swiss politician cited FIFA's decision to suspend a mandatory one-match ban on United States forward Folarin Balogun following pressure from US President Donald Trump, arguing that political influence had undermined confidence in the sport. Balogun was cleared to play against Belgium in a quarterfinal with a place in the semifinals at stake, although Belgium won 4-1. Berset also criticised FIFA's reported $150 million sponsorship agreement with prediction market company ADI Predictstreet, signed just a week after the Abu Dhabi-backed firm was established, as well as other gambling-related commercial partnerships linked to the tournament. He warned that prediction betting could encourage insider trading and fraud by allowing wagers on individual actions that do not affect the final score. The Council of Europe, which signed a cooperation agreement with FIFA in 2018 to promote transparency, accountability, integrity, safety in sport and respect for human rights, said recent developments had undermined those shared values. Berset noted that FIFA has yet to publish the disciplinary ruling explaining why Balogun's suspension was lifted, despite criticism from UEFA, which said the decision had "crossed a red line" regarding football's rule of law and transparency. He also expressed concern over referees' authority being challenged, racist abuse targeting players-including by some elected officials-and the expansion of betting markets covering every pass, card and corner during matches. Looking ahead to the 2030 men's World Cup, which will be co-hosted by Spain, Portugal and Morocco, with Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay each staging one opening match to mark the tournament's centenary, Berset called on FIFA to begin an immediate dialogue to establish a stronger integrity framework before the competition begins.

The stage is set for the FIFA World Cup final as Lionel Messi's Argentina take on Lamine Yamal-led Spain at MetLife Stadium on Sunday, with kickoff scheduled for 3:00 pm EDT.   Argentina are aiming to win their fourth World Cup title, while Spain are chasing a second crown. A victory for Spain would also make it the first nation to simultaneously hold both the men's and women's FIFA World Cup titles. Messi eyes third Golden Ball as Mbappé moves closer to World Cup Golden Boot The final marks the 104th and last match of the expanded 48-team tournament, jointly hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico. The competition has already produced 307 goals entering Sunday's decider, the highest total in World Cup history due to the increased number of matches. If the two finalists score at least twice, the tournament will also register the highest average goals per match since the 1956 World Cup, which averaged 3.6 goals per game. Even with fewer than two goals in the final, the tournament will still record the best scoring average since the 1970 edition, which averaged 2.97 goals per match.

Lionel Messi faces an uphill battle to win the World Cup Golden Boot after Kylian Mbappé extended his lead in the scoring race, but the Argentine captain remains the favourite to claim a record third Golden Ball when Argentina meet Spain in Sunday's final. Mbappé scored twice in France's 6-4 defeat to England in Saturday's third-place playoff, taking his tournament tally to 10 goals. Messi has eight goals, leaving him needing at least two goals in the final to draw level and three to move ahead. Before the third-place match, Messi and Mbappé were tied on eight goals, with the Argentine leading on the tiebreaker thanks to one more assist. If Messi cannot overtake Mbappé, he is still widely expected to win the Golden Ball, awarded to the tournament's best player. At 39, he has guided Argentina to a second consecutive World Cup final and is already the only player to have won the award twice, having claimed it in 2014 and 2022. "He is history. He is a legend," Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni said. The Golden Boot is the only major individual World Cup honour missing from Messi's long list of achievements, which includes a record eight Ballon d'Or awards. Mbappé, who won the Golden Boot at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar despite France losing the final to Argentina, became the first player to score 10 goals in a single World Cup since Germany's Gerd Müller achieved the feat in 1970. If Messi scores enough goals to surpass Mbappé and Argentina win the title, he would become the first Golden Boot winner to play for the World Cup champions since Brazil's Ronaldo in 2002. Spain also have strong contenders for the tournament's other major individual awards. Goalkeeper Unai Simón is among the favourites for the Golden Glove after conceding just one goal in seven matches, while 19-year-old forward Yamine Lamal is a leading candidate for the Best Young Player award, presented to the top performer aged 21 or under. The Golden Ball, Golden Glove and Best Young Player awards are decided by media representatives from a shortlist prepared by FIFA's Technical Study Group.

Lionel Messi and defending champions Argentina will take on Spain in Sunday’s World Cup final, a highly anticipated clash between one of football’s greatest individual talents and the sport’s most dominant team in recent years. Messi, who rarely finds himself on the losing side, will lead Argentina against a Spain team that has gone unbeaten in 37 consecutive matches since early 2024. The final is expected to provide a fitting conclusion to the biggest World Cup in history. For Spain, the match offers an opportunity to win a second World Cup title after their 2010 triumph and further establish themselves as the leading force in international football. Argentina, meanwhile, are aiming to become the first men’s team to win consecutive World Cups since Brazil achieved the feat under Pele in 1958 and 1962. For Messi, the final could represent his last appearance in the national team’s famous blue-and-white jersey, giving him another chance to complete a remarkable international career. “On Sunday, we will watch a great show,” Spain coach Luis de la Fuente said. “Two great national teams — two superteams, in my opinion — very similar in some aspects in terms of attitude and talent. I think it’s going to be an amazing final.” The contest has often been described as a battle between the world’s best player and the world’s best team, but the storyline goes far beyond that. Messi’s connection with Spain The final carries special significance for Messi, who was born in Argentina but spent much of his youth and entire club career in Spain. He could have represented Spain internationally, and Spanish officials attempted several times to convince him to choose their national team. However, Messi remained committed to Argentina. Sunday’s match will be his first encounter with Spain since a 2010 friendly when Argentina defeated the then-world champions. Despite the enormous pressure, Messi said he would approach the final in the same way he has always played football — with joy and passion. “We grew up playing soccer with passion, eager to play,” Messi said. “We played everywhere. We played on the street, at school and with teams. We didn’t think about pressure. It was just natural play.” The final will also feature a unique connection between Messi and Spain’s teenage sensation Lamine Yamal. The two players were photographed together nearly two decades ago when Yamal was an infant, and they will now meet on football’s biggest stage. Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni described Messi as “the best footballer that the world has seen,” saying the forward had become a symbol of football history. Messi’s remarkable comeback with Argentina A decade ago, Argentina’s current success seemed unlikely. Messi briefly retired from international football in 2016 after Argentina lost the Copa America final to Chile on penalties, with Messi missing one of the spot kicks. His retirement lasted only a few weeks, and he returned to continue leading Argentina. Since then, the team has won the Copa America in 2021, the World Cup in 2022 and another Copa America title in 2024. The 39-year-old forward has also continued to shine at club level, playing for Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain and Inter Miami. He remains a key figure in Major League Soccer and is still capable of producing decisive moments. “He is pure history. History. A legend,” Scaloni said. Spain chasing defensive record Spain enter the final as favourites after producing one of the strongest defensive performances in World Cup history. La Roja have conceded only one goal in their first seven matches and have never fallen behind during the tournament. Argentina, in contrast, have spent more than 100 minutes trailing, including stoppage time. Only three previous champions — Spain in 2010, Italy in 2006 and France in 1998 — won the World Cup after conceding just two goals throughout the tournament. Spain’s current defensive record puts them on course to match or surpass that achievement. Spain captain Rodri warned that Argentina are much more than just Messi. “Argentina is far more than Messi,” Rodri said. “They have proven they are a very complete team with top players. We are the best two teams playing collectively as a group. Of course, we need to be mindful of Leo, but there are many other players.” The final will be the 104th and last match of a tournament featuring 48 teams across the United States, Canada and Mexico. The World Cup was also marked by controversies, including political tensions surrounding Iran’s participation, criticism over FIFA’s decision to overturn the red-card suspension of US forward Folarin Balogun after intervention from President Donald Trump, and calls from the British government for an investigation into Argentina players’ actions involving the Falkland Islands after their semifinal victory over England. However, the tournament will ultimately end with the familiar scene of one team celebrating and another suffering heartbreak. “They have their strengths. So do we,” Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez said. “I hope it will be a final that goes down in history.”

FIFA President Gianni Infantino travelled nearly 60,000 miles and spent more than 100 hours in the air while moving across North America during the 2026 World Cup, the most geographically spread-out edition of football’s biggest tournament. Infantino travelled extensively across the United States, Canada and Mexico for matches, meetings and official events as the tournament was held across three countries, 16 cities and four time zones. The competition will conclude with Sunday’s final between Argentina and Spain in New Jersey. An analysis by The Associated Press of flight records of a private jet used by Infantino in recent years, along with photographs and social media posts, found that the FIFA president’s journey during the tournament covered enough distance to circle the Earth nearly two and a half times. Infantino’s extensive travel was made possible through access to a Gulfstream G650 aircraft from the Qatari government’s fleet. The plane is operated by Qatar Airways’ private charter division, with the airline being one of the sponsors of the World Cup. According to flight-tracking data from FlightAware, the aircraft began its tournament journey with a June 9 flight from Los Angeles to Mexico City ahead of the opening match. Since then, it averaged more than one flight per day, with several days involving more than three flights. Apart from attending matches, Infantino’s schedule included visits to New York for a Fox & Friends interview and Miami for a FIFA summit involving representatives from the organization’s 211 member associations. He also travelled to Doha to attend the funeral of Qatar’s former emir before returning to the United States for the World Cup semifinals. FIFA did not respond to requests for comments regarding Infantino’s travel arrangements. By the time the final is played, Infantino is expected to have attended 43 World Cup matches. Flight records showed that the jet was scheduled to travel from New Jersey to Miami for the third-place playoff between England and France but the trip was cancelled due to weather-related delays at New York-area airports. The FIFA president visited all 16 stadiums hosting World Cup matches, with Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium being his most frequent destination, where he watched five games. Infantino attended two matches on 13 different days, often travelling between venues hundreds of miles apart. The private jet used 21 airports during the tournament, mostly major international airports in host cities but also smaller aviation facilities. The aircraft crossed international borders 23 times within North America before the semifinals. The jet accumulated around 115 hours of flight time during the tournament, excluding repositioning flights and a 29-hour trip to Qatar for the funeral. The total flight time was equivalent to nearly five days in the air. The longest journey, excluding the Qatar trip, was a five-hour and 44-minute flight from Miami to Seattle, where Infantino attended the Belgium-Egypt match on June 15. The shortest trip was a 28-minute flight from Seattle to Vancouver on July 6. Infantino watched the United States-Belgium match in Seattle before travelling to Vancouver to attend another game the following day. The aircraft travelled 59,281 miles (95,403 kilometres) during the tournament, according to AP’s analysis. The distance exceeded the combined length of round trips between New York and Singapore, Los Angeles and Doha, and London and Perth. The busiest travel day came on June 26, when the aircraft covered 5,772 miles (9,289 kilometres). The journey included flights from Miami to Dallas, then Seattle, before returning to Miami the following morning. Infantino’s travel has also drawn attention because FIFA has pledged to cut carbon emissions linked to the World Cup and related activities by 50 percent by 2030 and achieve net-zero emissions by 2040. Environmental groups and climate researchers have warned that the expanded 2026 World Cup, involving three countries and extensive air travel for teams, supporters and officials, could become the most carbon-intensive edition of the tournament in history.

US President Donald Trump is preparing to hand over the FIFA World Cup trophy to the winners of Monday’s final between Argentina and Spain, but he believes the tournament itself has delivered a major victory for the United States. “Turns out we were a soccer country, and I think it’s going to remain,” Trump said Friday at a FIFA event at Trump Tower in New York. “This has really brought the world together.” The White House views the final match as the conclusion of more than a year of preparations and coordination with co-hosts Canada and Mexico for what is expected to be the largest World Cup ever held. However, the tournament faced several challenges, including concerns over the Trump administration’s strict immigration policies that affected entry for fans and officials from some qualifying nations. Human rights organizations had raised concerns, while the competition also faced criticism over expensive ticket prices. Trump had previously suggested relocating matches from cities that did not cooperate with federal immigration authorities. Local officials and FIFA also clashed over transportation costs in the weeks leading up to the tournament. The administration continued to face international criticism over visa decisions, including the denial of entry to a Somali referee who had received praise for his officiating. Tensions increased further after the United States launched military action against Iran, forcing officials to deal with the Iranian team’s participation as some fans and staff members were unable to enter the country. The team was eventually based in Tijuana, Mexico. Despite the controversies, the narrative surrounding the tournament changed as millions of fans shared positive experiences of American culture and hospitality on social media. Concerns about possible immigration raids near venues also failed to materialize. Andrew Giuliani, executive director of the White House FIFA Task Force, said the tournament had exceeded expectations by creating not only memorable sporting moments but also significant cultural exchanges. “We are not just talking about incredible athletic achievements on the field, but also these incredible cultural moments,” Giuliani told The Associated Press. Trump, however, remained involved in one controversy during the tournament after calling FIFA President Gianni Infantino to request a review of a disputed referee decision during the United States’ match against Bosnia and Herzegovina. The referee had issued a red card to US forward Folarin Balogun, ruling him out of the following game against Belgium. FIFA later overturned the decision. Trump praised Infantino during Friday’s reception, saying the reversal was a “great decision,” although the US eventually lost 4-1 to Belgium. Giuliani defended the administration’s intervention, saying officials had a responsibility to raise concerns about the review process. He also highlighted billions of dollars in federal investment to ensure the tournament was secure and fairly conducted. The successful hosting of the World Cup was considered important for the United States as the country prepares to host the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles and the 2034 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City. The US is also widely expected to host the 2031 Women’s World Cup. Giuliani said ensuring that “women and only women” compete in the tournament would be part of the hosting process, reflecting the Trump administration’s opposition to transgender women participating in women’s sports. Senator Andy Kim of New Jersey, whose state will host Monday’s final, said the tournament’s positive atmosphere had outweighed logistical problems, including occasional transportation issues. The World Cup also took place amid political tensions between the United States and its co-hosts Canada and Mexico. Trump had imposed tariffs on both countries and decided not to extend a regional trade agreement, leading to new negotiations. On Friday, Trump again threatened tariffs on Canada over wildfire-related air pollution affecting parts of the US, joking that FIFA should choose the United States as host again — “this time, we’ll leave Mexico and Canada out.” Despite the tensions, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney are expected to attend the final after receiving invitations from Trump. Trump, following World Cup tradition for host nation leaders, will present the trophy after the final but has not publicly revealed which team he supports. Spain has had disagreements with Trump over issues including NATO defense spending and US military operations against Iran. Meanwhile, Argentine President Javier Milei has maintained close ties with Trump and his administration. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez is scheduled to attend Sunday’s final, while Milei will remain in Argentina, citing superstition.